The present invention relates generally to display racks for use in retail outlets, libraries, hotels, banks and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a display rack intended to be used for reading materials and the like and adapted for easy adjustability wherein the weight of any articles displayed on the rack is distributed evenly across the weight transfer segments of the rack.
Various display racks are known in the art. These devices are commonly used to display products such as books, magazine, video cassettes, greeting cards, and compact discs and the like at the retail level. A merchant wishing to display such items to customers generally purchases a display rack that can be utilized with the merchant's existing shelving, choosing one of the appropriate size and shape to fit the space available and also maximize the amount of available space usable for displaying products and offering them for sale.
There are a number of disadvantages to the known display rack devices. Since the display racks are generally used with a merchant's existing shelving, they must be attached thereto by some sort of attachment mechanism, often a hook or similar device. Once the display rack is attached, the weight of the rack and any articles displayed there is transferred to the existing shelving. If the articles displayed on the rack are not centered the weight may be distributed unevenly, causing damage to the existing shelving. This is a common problem because as customers browse through a merchant's products the generally fail to return a product to the precise location on the display from which it was taken. Further, a customers purchase items from the display rack, the number and position of items left on the rack becomes uneven and unpredictable. Thus, there is a need in the art for a display rack that is attachable to conventional fixed shelving but which distributes the weight of items displayed thereon evenly, even if the items are not spaced evenly across the display rack.
In addition, known display racks are often constructed of material such as wood which may vary in texture and color from rack to rack. This can be problematic for large retailers with multiple retail outlets because these retailers wish to maintain uniformity at each of their locations. Thus it is also desirable to provide a display rack with the weight distribution characteristics described above and which also maintains a uniform appearance from rack to rack such that retailers are able to maintain uniformity in their displays.